Reef
both
Level 6/10

Black Rock (Socials)

Nikao, Rarotonga, Cook Islands
🪸Sharp reef🌀Strong rips

Black Rock (locally known as Socials) is Rarotonga's most popular surf break, located in front of the Nikao Social Centre on the northwest coast. A reef break offering both lefts and rights, it catches North Pacific swells during the November-March season. More accessible than the south coast passes, it's the go-to break for the local surf community.

3-Day Forecast
Wed
29
39
Poor
2.6m
@17s
7km/h
Today
30
31
Poor
1.8m
@15s
15km/h
Fri
1
32
Poor
1.1m
@12s
12km/h
+7
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Today's Conditions

Swell
2.6m
SSW(197°)
Score: 16/25
Period
17s
Long period groundswell
Score: 20/25
Wind
7km/h
E(101°)
Score: 17/25
Weather
26°C
0.0mm98%
Secondary Swell
0.7mESE
Forecast Confidence
100%
Sources: open-meteo-marine, open-meteo-weather
Best Session
afternoon
AM: 11 km/h SE|PM: 8 km/h ENE
Lighter winds later (8 km/h)
Tide at 2pm (0.3m)

Location & Conditions

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0°45°90°135°180°225°270°315°NESW
Swell
Wind
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Showing forecast for today

Tide Times

1:30 am
Low tide - 0.37m
7:40 am
High tide - 0.84m
2:04 pm
Low tide - 0.31m
8:12 pm
High tide - 0.82m
Times shown in spot-local time.

Strike Score Breakdown

39
Poor
Components
Swell Direction0/25
Swell Size16/25
Swell Period20/25
Wind17/25
Raw Score53/100
Adjustments
Wind History-4
⚠️ Weak Component-10
Adjusted Score39/100
Confidence
Multiplier×1.00
Final Score39

Spot Details

Swell Requirements

Optimal direction
N (0°)
Direction range
310° - 50°
Size range
0.6m - 2.5m
Ideal size
2.0m
Height multiplier
0.92×
Ideal period
12s+

Wind Requirements

Optimal direction
SSW (200°)
Offshore range
160° - 240°

Tide Requirements

Optimal tide
mid
Optimal range
0.4m - 1.5m

Water temp

27°C

Wetsuit

Boardshorts / Rashguard

Difficulty

6/10

Crowd level

5/10

Access: Shore access from Nikao Social Centre. 3km from airport.

Best Season

Peak: Nov, Dec, Jan, Feb, Mar

Secondary: Apr-Oct

Nov-Mar for N swells from North Pacific storms. Year-round potential.

Getting There

Airport
RAR
Drive time
5 min
Data quality
unverified

Strike Log

Community Discussion